


when did i catch it so badly for you?

by SisComKnight



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mutual Pining, Pining, aliens and alien cultures..., an excessive use of parenthesees
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 16:06:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8997625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SisComKnight/pseuds/SisComKnight
Summary: If someone simply looked at Keith, they definitely wouldn’t have noticed anything different than usual. He was pretty stoic, per usual, maybe just a hint more expressive. A little less moody, but being on a vacation planet would do that to a man. Essentially, the same Keith that appeared on a daily basis, to an outsider.If someone who actually knew Keith had spent time with him that day, they would notice that he was marginally happier and more prone to non-Keith-like behavior, such as dopey smiles and breathless chuckles.If someone who was close to Keith spent nearly all day with him (read: Takashi Shirogane), they would notice that he was absolutely, completely, entirely smitten with Lance and was completely ecstatic about being “space married” to said paladin.Fortunately for Keith, Shiro already knew about Keith’s infatuation with Lance, and completely supported this turn of events.(Doesn’t mean he got teased any less, though.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> it's my klance secret santa 2016 gift!!  
> @ my giftee i can't write angst so i picked out the things i could do and worked with it. hope you like it!  
> thanks to kathy, my sis, and rayden for reading this over.  
> enjoy.
> 
> edit: hey, 100 kudos!! thanks
> 
> /edit: 150 kudos!

The planet My-irtha was nice: sunny, warm, and filled with ponds and fountains of fresh water and welcoming natives. It was a small oasis safe from the rule of the Galra, tucked close to its minute star. It would’ve been a fantastic place for a vacation, if not for…

“Wait, what!?” Lance exclaimed.

The other members of team Voltron looked understandably surprised, but Lance was in absolute distress and on the verge of panicking.

“Yes,” Allura continued, obviously miffed at being interrupted. “The people of My-irtha consider marriage a very sacred bond. And, as they believe you --” she pointedly looked at Lance “-- and Keith have already been wed, due to your interactions, you must act as so. At least until our visit is over.”

 _What??_ Act like a couple? Him and _Keith?_

_Nonononono. No, no, no, Hunk, don’t raise your eyebrows at me! Stop that! Stop blushing, darn it!_

Pidge snickered. “And we’re going to be here a while for diplomacy, since we basically saved them from that battleship, so you better start now.” That little gremlin, always looking to make his life miserable.

“Don’t talk to me now, Pidge,” Lance whined, flopping on the ground pathetically. “I did _not_ ask for this, _or_ your taunting!”

He glanced up at Keith. Darn, how was he so unfazed by this?

Unfortunately, the small action was caught by none other than the Red Paladin himself. “What?” he questioned. “It’s not a huge deal. We just have to act it for, what, a few days or so, then we leave.”

Scoffing, Lance turned away. “‘Not a huge deal,’ he says. We’re friends, not married. How do you expect us to act all -- all couple-y and stuff?”

He really hoped no one noticed the slight flush of his cheeks.

(He had a slight feeling Hunk noticed.)

Shrugging, Shiro suggested, “Just practice. We should probably get you guys some rings; you’re ‘married’ but don’t have rings, which is kind of suspicious. Even if we’re on a different planet, they’ll probably expect us to keep our own customs.”

“We could claim that we haven’t had enough time to get any but they got married anyways,” Hunk commented offhandedly. “Seems like something you two might do.”

“Excuse me!?” Lance put his hand to his chest in mock-offense. “How dare you accuse me, of all people… I wouldn’t be so unprepared!”

“Well, I think it’s a great idea. We should.” Keith’s grin was bordering on dangerous, and it nearly blinded Lance. _Not fair_ , Keith shouldn’t be allowed to have such a bright smile. Did he even _know_ what it did to Lance’s heart!?

He had to take a moment to calm himself, so he rolled over and sat up, trying to calm his rapid heartbeat. Stupid Keith and his stupid cute smiles.

“Fine, if you say so…” Lance glared at Keith. “...’husband.’”

Allura beamed, exclaiming, “Great! We’ll find you two a shop to look into and some currency. Have fun!”

 _Quiznak_ , what had he gotten himself into?

 

 

* * *

 

They were able to find a good shop; actually, the best jeweler on the entire planet offered to make them rings for _free_ (custom too? Maybe Lance should get space-married more often) when they heard that this “wonderful paladin couple,” as they had been dubbed in the general area, didn’t have time to acquire wedding bands or even engagement rings.

(The owner stared at them in disbelief when they told her, but she was quick to offer a solution. Apparently marriage was an even bigger deal than either of them had expected.)

“Hey Pidge,” Lance called over to the younger teen who was ogling the tech-packed display windows.

She looked up at him. “Wassup?”

“Can you help us with the designs?”

“Why?”

Pidge looked genuinely surprised. Yeah, Lance _had_ seen her drawings before; they resembled his little brother’s “wall scrawls.” “Since we’ll be wearing them for a while, the rings have gotta be cool, and you’re an engineer. You _know_ cool. And unfortunately, I and my ‘husband’ --” Lance made air quotes around the word “-- aren’t good at this… design thing.”

(Lance pretended not to notice Keith’s indignant, “Hey!” in the background _or_ the happiness bubbling up in his chest at being able to call Keith _his_ husband. However, he actively smothered the disappointment and longing lurking beneath.)

Huffing, she turned back. “You should ask Hunk, he’s better at this.”

Lance tapped the side of his face, fake-contemplating the idea. “Yeeeaaahh, no. I already asked, and he said to ask you. Also…”

Leaning in closer to Pidge so Keith wouldn’t overhear, he whispered, “Uh, I. I really, really like Keith, you probably already know, and if this doesn’t last, I want… I want to at least have something nice to remember it by. I don’t -- I don’t want to mess this up.”

Seeming slightly flattered, Pidge relented, “Well… I guess I could come up with _something_ …”

Pleasantly surprised, Lance stood up from the floor of the shop. “Thanks Pidge! Now, Keith and I are gonna go shopping, so see ya!” He pointedly did _not_ notice Pidge’s knowing smirk.

“Wait, _we’re_ going shopping?”

Rolling his eyes and deliberately avoiding the fact that Keith had emphasized the “we” in his questions, Lance gestured outside. “Of course! When are we gonna have a break like this? Never.”

“... I guess,” Keith sighed, smiling ever so slightly. Who allowed him to do that? No one. Lance almost felt his heart skip a beat. _Again._ Couldn’t Keith give him a break?

“Great!” Quiznak, that came out too loudly. He cleared his throat to shift his voice back _to normal, let me have this just once!_ “Let’s go!”

He all but ran out of the shop, hoping Keith wouldn’t follow _too_ quickly so he had a chance to catch his breath.

When had he caught it so badly for Keith?

 

* * *

 

If someone simply looked at Keith, they definitely wouldn’t have noticed anything different than usual. He was pretty stoic, per usual, maybe just a hint more expressive. A little less moody, but being on a _vacation planet_ would do that to a man. Essentially, the same Keith that appeared on a daily basis, to an outsider.

If someone who actually _knew_ Keith had spent time with him that day, they would notice that he was marginally happier and more prone to non-Keith-like behavior, such as dopey smiles and breathless chuckles.

If someone who was close to Keith spent nearly all day with him (read: Takashi Shirogane), they would notice that he was absolutely, completely, entirely smitten with Lance and was completely _ecstatic_ about being “space married” to said paladin.

Fortunately for Keith, Shiro already knew about Keith’s infatuation with Lance, and completely supported this turn of events.

(Doesn’t mean he got teased any less, though.)

Keith followed Lance out of the ring maker’s shop with a skip in his step. When they had landed here, he hadn’t expected the natives to assume they were a couple, but he wasn’t going to argue it. He was able to, even obligated to act like he and Lance were a couple.

Who wouldn’t want that with the person they were entirely enamoured with?

Speaking of which, he should probably do something now. Allura explained that it was customary for couples to engage in physical contact… or something? Whatever. Might as well. No need to think too much.

As he caught up with Lance, Keith slipped his hand into the other’s, palm sweaty. Wow, against his own advice, he’d started overthinking. Was this too much? Would Lance pull away?

The other paladin looked a little surprised when he noticed Keith’s hand in his, but to Keith’s delight, didn’t pull away. As they walked, he looked around the rows of shops.

“So,” Keith started a bit awkwardly, “What exactly are we shopping for?”

Startled, Lance appeared to snap out of his thoughts. “Uhh… Didn’t really think about that.” _Cute._ “We can just… window-shop!”

“...do we even have money?”

“Of course,” Lance snorted. “Why would I suggest going shopping if I didn’t have money?”

Momentarily, Keith contemplated it. “Maybe because you wanted to get away from Pidge? I noticed you were a bit skittish around her earlier… Did something happen?”

The taller teen looked genuinely surprised. “You noticed that?”

“Yeah…? Ever since this morning you’ve been kind of… off.” Of course, Keith wasn’t going to admit that he observed Lance more closely than he did the others.

“Uh, well. Nothing really happened, it’s fine. Thanks for worrying though.”

“That’s good.”

They continued in silence for a while, still hand-in-hand. Lance’s hand felt nice in his. It’d be nice to keep holding it forever.

Suddenly, he felt a pang of sadness. After they leave, he and Lance would go back to being “just friends.” He wouldn’t -- he wouldn’t be able to stay as close to Lance.

(He’d probably be left a heart-broken, pining mess.)

Keith sighed. No need for gloomy thoughts; he might as well enjoy what he had now instead of wasting time away thinking about what’d happen after.

But he couldn’t quite rid himself of the quiet heartache that lingered.

“Keith?”

Lance looked at him, brow furrowed. Seeing Lance’s concern made Keith’s heart speed up a bit.

“Yeah?”

Quickly, Lance turned away. “I-I found a… I think it’s a pawn shop. You wanna -- you wanna go look at it?”

Keith could feel that Lance’s palms were sweaty, even through his fingerless gloves. _Oh. Is he… trying to cheer me up? He noticed that?_

“Sure,” he smiled, feeling a slight warmth bubble up in his chest.

 

* * *

 

Even if Lance talked big about his romance game, he definitely didn’t have any experience dating, or even with any more than a fleeting crush. And with Keith, his teammate and friend, any experience he would’ve had would _not_ have helped.

Especially in this… situation.

The moment Lance had noticed a slight change in Keith’s behavior, he’d worried instantly. Keith didn’t really get… sad, and he’d looked so downcast and just _down_ that it made Lance’s heart squeeze painfully.

So here he was, wandering into the space pawn shop he’d pointed out, still _somehow_ keeping a hold on Keith’s hand he’d been ridiculously happy to be holding. Without any plan.

All to cheer Keith up.

The cheery-looking, shockingly bright pink shopkeeper greeted them from behind a counter. “Welcome!”

Huh.

Objectively, her slim figure and shining eyes were attractive, but one look at Keith beside him instantly dispersed any thoughts of flirting.

Huh.

Man, he really, _really_ wanted to be Keith’s boyfriend.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Lance pulled the Red Paladin by the arm towards a display of glass (was it glass? Lance couldn’t tell) figurines. On closer inspection, he noticed two depictions of male lions on the middle shelf. “Look, Keith! They have glass lions!”

“And what would we do with those?” The other boy was _trying_ to look bored and unamused, but Lance could sense the amusement behind his glare.

Good, Keith was cheering up.

(The fact that _Lance_ , of all people had been able to cheer up the resident “edgelord,” was enough to nearly make his heart burst.

(Lance vowed to make Keith smile more and more and be happier and happier the days they were here.

( _I have these days,_ he thought. _I have this time._ )

“They’re for decoration, Keith. _Decoration!_ They’re really nice! Just _look_ at them.”

Of course, Lance’s taste in decoration was absolutely flawless, in his humble opinion. The lions were intricate and beautifully colored.

“Also, we really don’t see things that resemble things on earth, so it’d be nice…” he trailed off. Ah, good old homesickness strikes again. Just a little. He was still absurdly giddy from spending time with Keith, but he never knew when he’d miss home. Anything could set it off.

_I’m so pathetic, I was supposed to cheer Keith up. But now he has to deal with me and my missing home; why would he ever like me back? Always stuck in the past and worrying --_

“Okay.”

Keith’s voice cut through his thoughts. He hadn’t even noticed he’d started looking down until he had to look up at Keith.

“What?” _Wow, intelligent response._

Fixing him with a _look_ that held unexpected patience, Keith continued, “We’ll buy it.”

Lance must’ve looked perplexed, so the other forged on, “I know… I know you get homesick sometimes, and -- uh, if it’ll help. We can. Y’know, buy it.”

 _That’s so sweet, what the actual_ quiznak _, Keith. Stop doing this to me, my heart can’t take it._

“Alright, okay, yeah.” Lance gently lifted the two figurines off the shelf, trying his best not to look at the Red Paladin.

Anxiously, he glanced at the other. “You don’t… you don’t think it’s stupid that I get homesick?”

“No!” Keith practically yelled, startling Lance. “Uh, no, I don’t. I mean, I don’t really… have anything to miss, but I understand, at least… A little bit? Of course you miss home. Everyone does, and… You have a large family, right?”

Lance nodded affirmatively, wondering what Keith was trying to get at.

“Yeah, so of course you miss them, and they were the first thing you thought about in the mind-meld thing. So, no, I don’t think it’s stupid. It’s actually… Kind of sweet?” Keith was mumbling now, but he still held Lance’s gaze determinedly.

 _He thinks_ I’m _sweet? What the_ quiznak!? Keith and his bluntness made Lance so darn _flustered_ sometimes!!

“Did -- did you want anything for yourself?” He desperately needed to distract himself. _Desperately_.

“Maybe? I don’t know,” Keith snickered. “We haven’t really looked around yet.”

Squinting at Keith, Lance asked incredulously, “Are you… Are you _mocking_ me!?”

“Yes, yes I am.”

 

* * *

 

They ended up spending over four hours in the same shop, joking around, looking at merchandise, and generally having a _really good time_. Lance finally noticed how long they’d been there when Pidge rang him up on his “space phone,” as they’d all dubbed it.

(The “space phone” was to be carried around by all Paladins at all times in order to be able to contact each other without having their helmets. Allura had implemented this system after the Galran crystal incident so if any emergencies, like Lance nearly getting launched into space, occurred, the others could help quickly.

(It was kind of embarrassing to talk about.)

“Yo, Pidgey.”

Lance could hear her scowl through the phone. “Don’t call me that. Anyways, I’m done, you guys should come over and review them.”

“Alright, we’ll be over in a tick.”

Keith nodded at him as he hung up, having heard the conversation. “C’mon, let’s go pay for our stuff.”

In addition to the pair of glass lions, Keith had shown interest in a small ornamental dagger -- (“Don’t you already have one?” Lance had asked, and Keith had simply shrugged and replied, “It’s nice to have a souvenir, isn’t it?”) -- and the shopkeeper had politely explained the currency system to them as they purchased their merchandise.

It felt so like a date, it made Lance light-headed.

They walked back to the jeweler’s shop, sadly without linked hands, since Lance was carefully carrying a small bag with the figurines and Keith was looking over his dagger. Lance wasn’t too fond of getting a cut, or several. Ouch.

“Pigeotto, we’re here,” Lance called into the store as they walked in. Pidge looked up, smacking Lance’s arm as he got closer.

“I told you, no Pokémon nicknames,” she scowled. Keith seemed amused by the whole situation; seeing this, Pidge flipped him off. “As I said, I’m done. So tell me what you think.”

She pulled up a holographic display screen in front of her that showed the designs and mechanics of the rings.

“I was thinking that they should be complementary instead of matching, so I did that. Apparently the natives put a lot of symbolism in colors, so yours is red, Lance, and Keith’s is blue, since you’re the Blue and Red Paladins, and I asked the ring-maker, and she said that most get the opposite color so they’re ‘always linked’ or something.” At that, Lance feigned interest in the diagram to avoid looking at Keith.

( _Pidge_ definitely didn’t miss the blush on the back of his neck.)

“They’re more than just simple wedding bands, like we have on Earth; they can both receive holographic video feed like our phones do, but more discreetly. They also monitor your vitals, which I asked Shiro and Allura about. Our suits already do that, but it’s good to have when you’re in street clothes.” Pidge pointed out the parts where it would perform those functions.

“But really,” she continued, closing the overlaid screens that showed the “useful” parts of the rings, “I put a lot of effort into the _aesthetic_. What do you think?”

The rings were, in a word, _stunning_. They were so different but, the same? (How did that work?) The one meant for Keith was a deep blue, designed in a flame pattern. The flames tapered out to a lighter, almost transparent lilac. His own was a striking crimson, with dips and grooves flowing like water. The waves peaked into the same shade of purple as Keith’s ring.

Lance gaped. “Pidge, Pidgey, Pidgeon… When… did you suddenly get these… _sick drawing skills!?_ ”

Smirking smugly, Pidge shrugged. “I don’t know, but, as you said, ‘I _know_ cool.’”

“Yeah, these are… Amazing, Pidge.” Keith was looking at the display with a sort of reverence that Lance didn’t quite understand. “Thanks.”

Lance nodded. “Yeah, thanks. You really… you really outdid yourself.”

Her expression softened. “You’re welcome, Lance.”

He made a note to be extra nice to her for the next month at least.

 

* * *

 

The ring maker came over to measure their hands and took Pidge’s design in order to get to work. They wouldn’t be finished until the next star cycle, which was basically a day.

Keith was very, _very_ impressed with the rings’ designs, to say the least. Pidge had obviously put a lot of thought and work into them, and Keith decided he was going to keep his forever, even if Lance didn’t. It would be at least a memento of the time he spent with Lance as something more than a friend.

(He tried not to think about that.)

Since the day had nearly ended, Allura ushered them all into the Castle, apologizing to the natives as they went. It seemed that the My-irthians wanted them to stay in one of their classy hotel-like buildings, but Allura had politely declined, explaining that it was easier to get to their lions from the Castle in case of any danger. At that, the My-irthians had relented.

Keith showered and washed up, unusually refreshed.

(Maybe it had something to do with being with Lance all day.)

Typically, when he went without a good amount of physical activity, he felt tired and annoyed at himself.

Lance had been kind of… different. There was less teasing, for sure. Less bickering and such. Maybe that was because they had to act like a couple. He’d also seemed nervous, but why? Why would Lance be nervous about this?

Before he started wracking his brain for answers, Keith shook that thought away. Lance had also been pretty… tender? Was that the word? Keith recalled how the other had noticed his sadness and tried to cheer him up when they went window-shopping. _That was cute_ . And when Lance had nervously asked about Keith’s thoughts on his homesickness… It made Keith really, _really_ want to wrap his arms around him and comfort him.

_...I’ve got it really bad._

Sighing, he climbed into bed, trying to leave these feelings for tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

My-irtha’s star had barely risen when Keith woke up. He only became aware of this fact when he actually stepped outside, which meant he had woken up _before_ it had come up.

 _Early mornings are nice_ , he thought.

( _Early mornings with Lance would be nicer_ , a traitorous voice in the back of his mind whispered.)

Most of the citizens were, as expected, still asleep. This planet wasn’t too different than Earth; the culture was similar, politics weren’t too different, and there was a good amount of humanoids.

He wondered if he’d find an ocean here.

Quietly and carefully, he wandered around the outskirts of the civilization, watching as the citizens began to slowly wake up. The whole thing was so peaceful and serene, a pleasant change from the rest of the Galra-infested universe.

While watching a pair of My-irthian children play in the streets, he got a call from Shiro.

“What’s up?”

“Hey, Keith. We’re having a team meeting to go over today’s schedule and such. Can you come to the side of the castle by the Green Hangar?”

“Yeah, be there in a minute.”

The Green Hangar? That was just around here… right? He hoped so.

Fortunately, he spotted Hunk as he rounded the corner. Good, they hadn’t started yet, so he wasn’t late.

“Alright.” Allura clapped her hands to get their attention. “Yesterday, you all had a break from training and your duties. Today, we are going to resume them. Firstly, we will all attend a diplomatic meeting with Prime minister Shri’yan. And we will _try_ \--” she pointedly glared at Lance “-- not to mess up relations by excessive flirting or questioning.”

Was it just Keith, or did Lance peer at him apprehensively, instead of disappointedly like he did after a “flirting ban”, at that?

“Keith, Lance,” Allura continued, “They will be expecting you to keep up your ‘relationship.’ Please act as so.”

Nodding, Keith swallowed tensely. It wasn’t… difficult, really, for Keith. But he didn’t know how Lance would react.

“We will,” Lance replied. He looked a little bit forlorn, but Keith couldn’t quite place the reason why.

“Alright. After the meeting has ended, you two will pick up your rings, and we will continue our regular training schedule. Carefully.”

All of them felt a little guilty at that. Keith couldn’t count how many times they’d almost wrecked an entire planet before. He didn’t really want that to happen here, a heavily populated area safe from the Galra at present.

Allura glanced at her holopad (“It’s basically an iPad!” Lance had exclaimed gleefully when he’d first seen it) and announced, “At the end of the day, we have been invited to a celebration for the warding off of the Galra. And that’s all, we must leave to our meeting.”

“A party! Hunk, we’re going to a party!” Lance looked like he was going to jump into the atmosphere and float away. “Do you think there’ll be --”

Pidge pulled Lance down by the ear and vehemently whispered something into it, causing Lance’s expression to morph into one of guilt and regret.

“I know, but there’s a reason!” Lance hissed in response. “It’s ‘cause…”

Keith couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation as they walked into the castle to get changed into their diplomat outfits.

(He wasn’t sure he wanted to.)

 

* * *

 

The diplomacy conference passed without much incident. Keith and Lance sat next to each other and quietly linked hands on top of the table, but didn’t have to do much else. Keith was just glad he didn’t have to talk.

(Holding hands did _something_ to Keith’s brain, so if he did talk it probably would’ve been something embarrassing.)

Pidge pushed Keith and Lance _away_ and into the ring shop (with a malicious grin; how much did she _know_? It made Keith worry a little) where the craftsman, Da’vih, fitted their rings and presented them with a flourish.

As expected, his ring was magnificent. He couldn’t stop staring at it, even as they walked back to the Castle. It was beautiful, but what it represented was even better to Keith; even if their “marriage” was made up, it’d always mean just… _Lance_ , to him at least.

He looked over at the other teen, and noticed he seemed captivated by his ring as well. Huh.

(Later, Shiro scolded Keith for daydreaming during training, then mercilessly teased him about his ring.

(Shiro also smiled gently at him and told him, “Congratulations. I hope everything works out.”

(“Thanks, Shiro.”)

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Hunk.”

Hunk turned to face the lanky teen draped over his back. “Yeah, Lance?”

Lance stared into the distance, thinking about how he should phrase his next words. “I don’t… I don’t think I really want to leave this planet.”

When Hunk tilted his head to the side in a questioning gesture, Lance continued, “It’s really nice here, y’know? No Galra, no fighting… It’s really peaceful, and Voltron’s cool and all, but sometimes…”

“And this place…” He hesitated, wondering if he should burden Hunk with his homesickness. It was pretty pathetic how couldn’t even go a day without missing home.

Lance stared past Hunk’s face at his hands, and suddenly --

The sight of the ring made him remember yesterday’s conversation with Keith, and his hesitation vanished.

(If Keith thought he was sweet, Hunk definitely would understand.

(For some reason, Keith gave him a confidence he would never understand.)

“It reminds me of home.”

Hunk suddenly twisted around and pulled him into a patented Hunk Hug. “Me too,” he murmured. “I miss Earth too.”

They sat there in silence for at least a minute.

(Hunk was a good friend.)

“Also.”

“Yeah, Lance?”

He sighed deeply. “I really… I really like Keith.”

Hunk patted him on the shoulder consolingly. “I know. You already had a crisis.”

“Don’t remind me,” Lance complained. “It’s just… tomorrow, we’re going to leave, and do I like, tell Keith that I’m painfully in love with him and really like getting to be this close to him, or like… Do I not.”

“Well…” Hunk tapped the side of his face, thinking about Lance’s question. “It depends. If you want to, you should.”

Flopping down on the cold metal floor, Lance groaned, “I don’t _know_ what I want to do. What if I tell him and he rejects me? What’ll happen then?” He gasped, realizing something. “It won’t mess up the team, will it? Oh quiznak, I don’t want that.”

“Lance.” Hunk put his hand on Lance’s shoulder. “I don’t think Keith will dislike you for having feelings for him. He’s not that kind of person. And no, that won’t mess up the team.”

Lance contemplated that. Hunk was probably right. _A lot of the time, Hunk is right. Except when it comes to excessive irrational fears._

“Thanks again, Hunk.” The Yellow Paladin sent a grin his way. “I think we need to get ready for that party now.”

“You’re right, you need to impress your ‘mullet man.’ I’ll help.”

(Lance’s flustered, _“Hey!”_ was ignored.)

 

* * *

 

A party? The celebration was _basically_ a party. Keith didn’t really _like_ parties. For a lot of reasons.

(1. He sort of had to socialize, which he kind of sucked at.

(2. The rest of the team would likely be socializing with people who were not him, so he’d have to socialize with _strangers_. He didn’t like talking to strangers all that much.

(3. Allura didn’t allow him to bring weapons. Not even as a precaution.

(4. Lance always flirted at parties. And got rejected, but it still hurt Keith. Lance couldn’t help it, he knew, but it still hurt.)

“Come on, Keith. We have to go soon, and you aren’t even prepared!” Shiro was dragging him from the training room to get changed. It was _painful._

“I don’t want to,” Keith muttered bitterly. “You know I don’t like parties. And Lance always messes around.”

“Well, you don’t have a choice, since we’re respecting their invitation to us. I do know you dislike social gatherings, but too bad. And Lance can’t mess around this time, since you two are acting as our resident couple. So, your excuses are invalid, now _get up._ ”

Keith grudgingly got up from the floor and headed to his room to get properly dressed. Shiro was so _responsible_ sometimes it made Keith want to cry.

Allura and Coran ushered them out of the Castle; according to them, the My-irthians liked outdoor festivals, so that’s what they were attending. That was fine by Keith, as it meant less people and more space. More breathing room.

He glanced at Lance and then did a double take. For some reason, Lance looked even better than usual, but that was impossible since he was wearing the exact same clothes they wore to all celebrations… right? Wait, was that… Hair gel? Since when did Lance own hair gel? How would you even get that in space? Did he use the food goo? And was Lance wearing _makeup_!? Dang, Keith knew Lance cared for his skin, but he didn’t know that Lance knew how to apply makeup.

Too late, he realized he’d been staring. He looked away quickly, trying to hide his flushed face. _Quiznak, is Lance trying to kill me or something?_ _He’s too cute and gorgeous, I’m gonna die._

(It didn’t really help that Shiro sent him a knowing smirk.)

Keith found himself a place to settle for the night in a secluded, darker area on the edge of the clearing the festival was taking place in. It was situated higher up than the center, so he had a good view of the whole event. He watched as Allura and Coran twirled in the middle of the commotion, observed Pidge as she animatedly chattered with a technology-laden My-irthian, and laughed a little to himself as he watched Hunk nearly fall face-first into a large pie-looking pastry.

Wait, where was Lance?

Keith scanned the area. Even from up here, it was hard to see _everything_. He felt his chest constrict; what if Lance was off flirting with someone? Sure, Keith had quickly escaped the whole scene, but a good majority of the citizens knew about their “marriage” thing, so Lance had to at least try, right?

...right?

Finally, Keith spotted Lance’s brown hair above the crowd. It was good that My-irthians weren’t that tall. He was talking to someone, but looked oddly uncomfortable, looking around as if searching for help. Without thinking, Keith started rushing over, tossing out a “sorry” when he bumped into someone.

“...oh, come on! You’re so cute, why don’t we leave, together?”

Lance looked really, really distressed. “I told you, I don’t --”

“Excuse me?” Keith interjected. He vaguely registered Lance’s relieved expression. “What exactly are you doing?”

“And who are you?” the My-irthian shot back. “I’m just having a little fun.”

“Well, can’t you see that _my husband_ is feeling a little _uncomfortable_ with your ‘fun?’ I don’t really think being on the bad side of two _Paladins of Voltron_ is a good idea.”

The My-irthian immediately took a couple steps back, suddenly becoming apologetic. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t aware. I’ll leave.”

They quickly left, and with that, Keith was left alone with Lance.

“Uh, thanks.”

Keith pushed his bangs away from his face, somewhat tired from his tirade. Quiznak, he really hoped Lance hadn’t somehow figured out how he felt and was starting to feel awkward around him. “Don’t mention it. You looked really uncomfortable.”

“...yeah.”

They stood in silence, watching the rest of the people laugh and dance.

It felt like an hour passed, them just being together.

“Hey, Keith.”

He looked at Lance. “What?”

The Blue Paladin held his hand out to Keith. “Dance with me?”

Keith felt his face literally burst into flames. “Why?” He couldn’t come up with any reasons Lance would willingly ask him to dance, not at the moment. He didn’t want to hope.

“You’re my husband, and we’re supposed to be super romantic,” Lance said matter-of-factly. “And, to… thank you, I guess.”

“Wha-- Why? I don’t even like dancing!?”

“Ugh-- J-just shut up and take my hand, darn it!” Lance shouted, looking away from Keith. He complied, a bit flustered at the whole… physical contact.

They moved out to the clearing, simply swaying to the soft music. They’d all learned to dance for diplomatic reasons, but this was the first time Keith felt his palms sweat and his face heat up. _Stupid Lance, making me flustered and confused._

Keith didn’t even realize time had passed until Lance was leading him by the hand to go sit down in the place Keith had first isolated himself in. The My-irthians were starting to head home, many leaving in pairs. He gazed down at the lights, for once content after a social gathering.

(Most parties ended with him angrily escaping back to the castle after seeing Lance flirt with alien after alien, all of which were not _Keith_.)

“So…” Lance seemed a little hesitant. “Earlier.”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for helping me, but… you seemed really angry. Were you, uh, worried?”

Keith bristled a little. “...kind of.”

“Okay.” Lance looked regretful. “If there’s… if there’s something you want me to do, just ask, okay? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“Wait, it’s not your fault,” Keith blurted before he could reconsider. “I… I got jealous and kind of overprotective, and you looked really great today, and I sort of got jealous, because I’m-- I love you.”

A bit belatedly, Keith realized what he had said. “Uh, sorry. Sorry! Uh, just-- just ignore that. If you want to, I mean! Quiznak, I’m so stupid, just--”

“Keith!” Lance cut him off. “I -- me too. I, I really like you too. So, don’t-- don’t be sorry. Yeah.” Keith stared a little, just a _little_ disappointed.

It seemed that Lance noticed, because he quickly added, “I mean, ugh. Sorry, I really-- wow, I really chickened out. I-I’m in love with you.”

Lance had been holding eye contact, but quickly looked away after his confession, covering his deep blush with his hands. “I -- I’m just gonna. Can I -- y’know. Kiss..? I mean, if you want to. Ugh. I really -- I really want to be your boyfriend, so much.”

 _Lance is so_ cute _, I love him so much._

“I can’t really do that if you’re covering your face,” Keith laughed breathlessly. He couldn’t believe it; Lance loved _him._

“Fine, fine, stop teasing me!” Lance slowly brought his hands away from his face, pouting and still blushing furiously. Absolutely _adorable_ , this wasn’t fair.

Keith leaned in and closed his eyes, lips meeting Lance’s halfway.

 

* * *

 

“So.” Shiro’s grin seemed vaguely dangerous. “Your heart rate really skyrocketed out there.”

Unable to stop the blush slowly taking over his skin, Keith stared at the wall, _not_ looking at Shiro. “And so?” He was still kind of… out of it.

Shiro sighed, as if disappointed with Keith’s response. He probably was. “And so, what happened?”

“Something,” Keith muttered.

“Huh? What was that, ‘something?’”

Suddenly, the realization hit him, full force. _Lance is_ my _boyfriend. Holy quiznak._

He turned to Shiro excitedly and shouted, “Shiro! Lance is my _boyfriend!_ ”

“Really!?” Wow, Shiro seemed ecstatic for him. Keith nodded quickly, grinning so widely his face hurt. “Congratulations!”

“Wait, Shiro, don’t -- get off of me!!”

“Keith, you gotta accept the congratulatory hug, stop trying to escape!”

 

* * *

 

“Wait, if you were in love with me for a couple months, why did you always flirt?”

Keith looked hurt. Wow, Lance had screwed up then, huh.

“I didn’t, I mean... I did it because I didn’t think you’d ever like me back. Like, a coping mechanism, y’know? Try to distract myself from how good you looked and stuff.” Lance shrugged, trying to seem apologetic. He _did_ regret it, but he now had a very cute boyfriend that he’d been with for two months. “Can’t really say it helped, ‘cause you always look good.”

“What the _quiznak_ , Lance!?” Keith blurted, flustered. “You can’t-- you can’t say things like that-- ugh. I hate you!”

Lance grinned in response. “No, you don’t. You love me, admit it.”

“...I do, but you’re still stupid.”

 

* * *

 

Lance was restless. Lance _couldn’t_ calm down. He sat in his hangar, knee jiggling up and down anxiously. Blue was purring comfortingly in the back of his mind, but it wasn’t enough to pacify him.

“Pidgey?”

Pidge’s voice crackled through the phone. “You’ll be alright, Lance. Don’t sweat it too much.”

“Yeah, but what if --”

“No more what-if’s!” Hunk interrupted, presumably having been listening in. “He’s _in love_ with you. He has been for like, seven years.”

“You don’t think it’s bad?”

“Of course not,” Shiro comforted. Wow, was everyone else listening in? What happened to privacy?

“Couldn’t be worse than how you guys got together in the first place.”

“This is no time for your snark, Pidge,” Hunk scolded.

Lance let out a breath. “Okay. Okay. I’m going to hang up now, since I have a beautiful and amazing space ranger to propose to.”

The chorus of “good luck!”’s gave him at least a _little_ confidence. He was glad they had all been willing to help him with this plan; Pidge had helped him plan and set up, Hunk had provided moral and emotional support _and_ food (Lance didn’t expect anything less from his best friend), Coran and Allura had found a nice planet for Lance to take Keith to, and Shiro had distracted Keith from the whole thing. They were so supportive, Lance almost cried.

(He actually did cry when he tasted some of the food; it was so good. And then he cried because Hunk had shooed him away and forbidden him from having any more until his date.)

He walked from Blue’s hangar to his and Keith’s shared room and knocked. Formal “dates” weren’t really a thing when you both lived in the same space-castle-ship in the same room, but Lance tried to make it work. It usually did; even if it wasn’t picture-perfect, they both really enjoyed it.

Geez, was he already starting to sweat? He didn’t put on makeup for this. He tried to calm his nerves as Keith opened the door.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Lance said, trying his _very_ best to be smooth and not stutter. It wasn’t like they didn’t go on dates; they went on plenty, but Lance had never proposed before. “Are you ready for our date?”

Keith smiled. Man, Lance already knew how _attractive_ Keith could be, but he still stole Lance’s breath every time. “Yeah, of course. Can’t have you taking the ‘best boyfriend’ title from me by not being prepared.”

“Well, I’m definitely taking that title back soon.” The best-case scenario would actually result in Lance receiving “best fiance” status, but Keith didn’t need to know that yet. Not yet.

He took Keith’s hand as they walked to Lance’s hangar in comfortable silence. Just seeing Keith had helped calm his nerves.

 _No wonder I want to marry him so badly_ , he thought dreamily.

They arrived in Blue’s hangar, Lance’s lion graciously bending down and letting them in. A lot of their dates were like small vacations to new planets, so they took their lions a lot. Even Red didn’t seem to mind their “travel dates” as much now.

“So, what’re we doing today?” Keith asked as they landed in a large field.

Walking out, Lance responded, “We’re going on a picnic, babe. The ever-wonderful Hunk was our chef.” He held up the basket full of _really_ good assorted treats and foods. Hunk had even made his special-occasion dish for Lance. A true friend right there.

Settling in a spot near a cliff overlooking an incredibly lilac lake, they ate, bickering and flirting and whatnot. The usual. Lance relaxed, their banter comforting and familiar.

(“Hey, look at that cloud. It looks like you.”

(“What!? No, I don’t look like that!”

(“Of course not, you’re more like that cloud over there.”

(Sometimes, he’d run his thumb over Keith’s ring from so long ago when they’d been “space-married” by the My-irthians. They really hadn’t changed, had they?)

As the food slowly disappeared, Lance started to psych himself up. They had a great place with a great view, and Keith was smiling and laughing and generally making Lance fall, somehow, deeper in love. He could do this.

“So, Keith.”

“Yeah?”

“We’ve known each other of a grand total of nine years now,” he started. “And I’ll admit that in the first two we didn’t really see eye-to-eye. But for seven, I’ve gotten to know you. I know that you are a fierce cuddler, and you actually once almost choked me to death in your sleep.” Keith smirked at that.

“I know you seem indifferent, but sometimes you need someone to lean on. I know you like waking up earlier than me so you can kiss me awake, but you really like it when I do the same.” Keith was smiling wider now, like he was reliving the moments like Lance was. “Point is, I know a lot of things, but I was thinking, I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you.”

For a second, Lance had to fumble around in his pocket for the ring box, but he managed to pull it out before his words really sunk in. “So, Keith Kogane, will you marry me?”

(He’d planned to get down on one knee and propose at sunset, but knowing them, that probably wouldn’t have happened, so he settled for this. He didn’t expect Keith to force him to be romantic.)

Nervously, he looked at the other. Keith was staring at him. Just staring. Oh quiznak, did he do something wrong? Did Keith not want --

“Lance, that -- this isn’t -- that’s not fair.”

Immediately, Lance jumped to the worst conclusion: Keith wasn’t going to marry him, he didn’t want this with Lance, he’d messed up their relationship, and --

Keith pulled something out of his own pocket, eyes glistening with tears. “That’s not fair, I was going to propose, you idiot. Quiznak, I’m so happy.” He wiped at his eyes.

“Wait.” Did he mishear? What had Keith said?

“I said _yes,_ but I wanted to -- to, y’know propose. I guess you beat me to it.” Keith was crying now. Wait, Lance was crying now too. Happy tears, though.

He dropped the open ring box he was holding in favor of cradling his boyfriend -- wait, fiance’s -- face in his hands and bringing him in for a kiss.

 

* * *

 

(“Do I get the ‘best fiance’ title now?”

(“Hmmm, I don’t know… Maybe if you kiss me again.”

(Lance wasn’t going to complain about that request.)

**Author's Note:**

> comments/kudos/constructive criticism welcomed  
> find me on tumblr @siscomknight


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